Whiffletree-hook



(No Model.)

I. L. LANDIS. W HIFFLETREE HOOK.

No. 561,057.. Patented May 264, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL L. LANDIS, OF MILIVAUKEE, IVISCONSIN.

WHlFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,057, dated May 26, 1896.

Application filed July 5, 1895. Serial No. 554,941. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISRAEL L. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in VVhiffletree-Hooks; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to Whiffietree-hooks in which I use a sliding tongue for holding the trace upon the hook with which it engages; and the object of my invention is to provide an article of Very cheap and simple construction, which will be easy to lock or unlock and absolutely safe when in its locked position, and which will at the same time overcome all tendency to rattle.

To this end my invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a rear elevation of my improved whiffletree-hook, partly in section, on line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4. is an end view showing trace in position and spring-tongue locked.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates a whiffletree-thimble provided at its outer end with a reduced end extension B, which has a right-angle neck I), connected at the outer end and extended from one side thereof. Said neck is made hollow from end to end, the hollow opening out at both ends and being flat or oblong in cross-section. A spring-tongue O is adapted to slide in said hollow and is provided with means for causing it to bear against the sides or interior of said hollow with sufficient friction to hold it in place and prevent rattling. Said means consists, preferably, in making said tongue of a single piece of wire bent in the form of a link, the ends of the wire abutting one an other, preferably at one side of the link, so that they can be bent slightly out of line with one another for the purpose of adjusting the friction of the tongue against the interior of the hollow of said neck, the friction being caused by spreading the open parts of the link out to a greater width than the width of the opening, so as to cause them to bear on its edges, or by slightly twisting the tongue so as to cause the ends at the open part to bear against the sides of said opening with a torsional strain on the link.

I provide a pin 0, which passes through an opening in the neck and the slot" in the tongue, so as to prevent the latter from dropping out of the neck should the spring tension become too light or the tongue become loose from wear.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen it is desired to fasten the trace, the tongue is shoved up to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the trace is twisted in the position shown in the dotted lines, Fig. 1. It can then be passed down over the neck and the angle which the neck makes with the end extension and passed by the opening in the end of the neck at said angle, so that the tongue can be pushed down so that it will project from the opposite side of the reduced end from the neck to the position seen in Fig. 4, forming a T- head or cross at the end extension, so as to prevent the trace from being removed from the end extension until the tongue is shoved backward.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown a lug d, which may be used in place of pin 0 to prevent the'tongue from dropping out.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A whiffletreethimble provided with a reduced end extension having a neck bent at right angles thereto, said neck being provided throughout its length with an elongated opening; a tongue fitted in said opening, said tongue being comprised of a looped piece with an opening at one side for producing adjustable friction, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

ISRAEL L. LANDIS.

Witnesses:

Gno. W. YOUNG, E. W. STOUT. 

